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You are here: Croan Cottage Blog » Recipes » Blog article: St. Valentine’s Stuffed Beef Heart

St. Valentine’s Stuffed Beef Heart

Beef Heart Are we alone in thinking that Beef Heart is a good centrepiece to a Valentine’s Day meal?

Today, we slow roasted a beef heart in honour of the bold Valentine as an alternative to a Hallmark-inspired frenzy of hearts and flowers.

Forget the tales of ‘tough meat’, this recipe produces a melt in the mouth effect.

The heart does have a strong (almost gamey) flavour though so this is not a great choice if your dinner companion likes their food light and airy!

To heighten the flavour and effect, we stuffed the heart with herbs associated with love and romance:

  • Rosemary was used in old recipes to bind two people together “in a gentle love”,
  • Thyme symbolises affection,
  • Oregano signifies joy and happiness,
  • Dill was sometimes sprinkled around the home to protect and strengthen an existing love,
  • Bay leaves represented “the glory of love” and were used in a bath to attract a soul mate. The lovelorn could also carry them around in a pocket, while searching for their soul mate.

Ingredients

  • 1 beef  heart (trimmed of sinew and vessels to make a ‘pocket’)
  • 100g butter
  • 100g finely chopped onions
  • 200g breadcrumbs
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped oregano
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped dill
  • 2 bay leaves.
  • 600ml beef stock
  • 100ml red wine

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 170C.
  2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan with the bay leaves and gently sweat the onions until translucent and softened.
  3. Remove and discard  the bay leaves.
  4. Add the breadcrumbs and chopped herbs and mix well.
  5. Stuff the mixture into the heart.
  6. Place the stuffed heart into a cast iron casserole dish with the beef stock and cover. Roast for 3.5 hours until very tender.
  7. Remove the heart and leave to rest in a warm place.
  8. Add 100 ml red wine to the juices in the pot and bring to the boil.
  9. Simmer until reduced and thickened (use a little roux if you need to).
  10. Slice the heart and serve with roast potatoes, steamed veg and the gravy to your beloved.

(This recipe also works as a great Hallowe’en dish , if you’re feeling bloodthirsty!)

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